TRU Williams Lake is putting together a hickey team for September 2013!  Click to learn more.
Home Arts/Entertainment Local artists ‘Off with their heads’ at Williams Lake Secondary School

PostHeaderIcon ‘Off with their heads’ at Williams Lake Secondary School

Arts & Entertainment

053112_aliceBy LeRae Haynes

The theatre stage in Williams Lake Secondary School (WLSS) is being transformed into a wonderland as the cast, crew and director prepare for opening night of ‘Alice a Wonderland.’

(Willa Julius the ‘Duchess’, Isabella Rudy the ‘Red Queen’ and Kara Pare the ‘Mad Hatter’ talked today about the pull of the stage and what it feels like to truly convince an audience.)

The play is a unique take on a traditional story, with non-Hollywood characters taken straight from Lewis Carroll’s pages.

Willa Julius is in Grade 11 and plays the Duchess and the Tiger Lily in the play. She said that she has been in three plays, including ‘Beauty and the Beast’ at WLSS. “What brought me back stage is the relationships formed and strengthened on the stage and behind the scenes,” she explained.  

“The ‘rush’ for me is when you’re standing there ready to go on, and you have prepared for this for months and months and you couldn’t be more ready. And then the curtain goes up and there is this huge crowd out that there that you need to convince and you know it’s going to be awesome.”

Grade 12 student Isabella Ruby plays the Red Queen and the Violet. A successful young soccer player, she is fairly new to the stage, and said that there is a fun, team energy with the cast and crew.

“Playing the Queen has made me feel empowered. As the queen, everyone fears me and listens to me, and for one stretch of time I become someone else,” she said. “When the audience leaves after the play I just want them to see us as a big family, and to be moved by what we’ve done.” 

Kara Pare, Grade 10 student, plays the Mad Hatter and one of the Cards. She said that ‘Just So’ was her first stage experience and ‘Alice’ is her second. “Part of what drew me to this is that I like Ms. Boll and I’m having a lot of fun working with her,” she stated. “A highlight for me on stage is that moment when you feel like someone else and you can get it across to the audience.

“I just want the audience to have fun. I’m up there giving my all and I want them to laugh and be entertained.”

WLSS drama teacher Sidonie Boll said that the story itself appeals to her. “I thought it would suit our kids, and I like plays that are interesting for the community, too,” she said.

The play was written by two Canadians: Roy Surette, artistic director of theatre in Montreal and Sandra Head, actress, musician and writer in Vancouver.

“I did this play 30 years ago—I was the first ‘Alice.’ I know the writers and they let us do it without paying royalties and they said I could make any changes to it I wanted. I’ve added music and have increased the number of characters from six to 24,” Sidonie continued.  

“I like the idea that it comes from a book, and I like the idea of the tradition of this tale. It’s been around a long time: everybody knows Alice. It was written with children in mind, but the sensibilities are very adult and sophisticated.”

She said that most of the lines in the play are from the book. “Most of the kids will love the characters but will not understand everything they say,” she added. “The adults will, and will appreciate what Lewis Carroll had to say.”   

Sidonie has taught at WLSS for nine years. A trained drama teacher, she said that her first job at the school was teaching French, English and Socials. “They already had a drama teacher here, and when she left on leave, they were in the middle of rehearsals for ‘Guys and Dolls’ and they asked me if I would direct it,” she noted.

“It was my directing debut and I loved it. The kids did a great job.”  

She said that the ‘Alice’ cast is a very 'young' one. “The kids come with talent. I try to give them the skills to showcase that talent. The older students have the experience and the skills and the younger ones learn from that. With this cast, that’s different,” she said. 

“When we get to opening night, I just sit back and think, ‘It’s out of my hands, now. It’s up to you.’”

“I remember as a kid going to a play or a move and feeling that it was so cool and that I wanted to be just like them,” Willa said. “That’s what I want our audiences to feel. I want kids in the audience to want to do this in the future, walking out and saying, ‘That was awesome.’”  

Tickets for ‘Alice’ are available at WLSS, at the Hobbit House and at Open Book. The play runs from June 12 to June 23, Tuesday through Saturday the first week and Wednesday through Saturday the second week at 7:00pm, with a 1:00pm matinee on the final Saturday.

Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites



 

Welcome to Williams Lake is a real time news and events website designed specifically for the Williams Lake, BC area in the Cariboo Region of British Columbia.
We provide reputable, factual, non-sensationalized daily, breaking news, community events, sports,entertainment, weather, photo galleries, business listings
and more for residents and visitors in the Williams Lake, BC area.

If you have a news tip, see news happening in the Cariboo/Chilcotin or have an local event to promote,
email us at news@welcometowilliamslake.ca or call 250-398-NEWS or text to 250-398-0508